Diabetes: Why rising incidence should urgently be curbed

When medical experts on Diabetes met in Lagos on Oct. 25, this year, it was to critically examine the rising incidence of diabetes in the country and the African region.

They met at the 2018 Sanofi Diabetes Summit to proffer ways to tackle the disease.

According to them, more persons are still coming down with the disease if measures are not put in place to address the situation.

From Left: Professor of Medicine and Endocrinology, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde, Cameroun, Jean Claude Mbanya; Professor of Diabetes Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine Alexandria University Egypt, Abdelrahim Aly, General Manager, Rx and Country Chair, Sanofi Nigeria-Ghana, Folake Odediran and Head, Department of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Professor Babatope Kolawole at the Summit.

Explaining what the disease is all about, the Diabetes Research Institute, University of Maimi, U.S., says everybody needs carbohydrate foods because they provide our body with its main source of energy.

When we eat these foods, which include bread, cereal, pasta, rice, fruit, dairy products and starchy vegetables, the body breaks them down into glucose.

The glucose moves around the body in the bloodstream; some of it is taken to our brain to help us think clearly and function.

The remaining glucose is taken to the cells of our body for energy and also to our liver, where it is stored as energy that is used later by the body.

In order for the body to use glucose for energy, insulin is required; insulin is a hormone that is produced by the beta cells in the pancreas.